Department for Transport

Taxis: Licensing

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what safety and background checks are carried out on people renewing taxi driver licences or applying for new taxi driver licences in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England and Wales license taxi drivers. Regulation of taxi drivers in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved to the Scottish Government and Northern Irish Assembly respectively. Local licensing authorities in England and Wales have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a taxi driver’s licence is a fit and proper person to hold such a licence. Although the term ‘fit and proper’ is not defined in legislation, the procedure for assessing a driver’s fitness will typically involve a criminal record check, a medical check, a local topographical knowledge test and possibly a special driving test. The inclusion of any or all of these elements and the stringency thereof is a matter for the licensing authority. However, the Department for Transport publishes Best Practice Guidance to assist licensing authorities when setting standards.

Railways: Directors

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether current railway legislation permits a managing director of a railway undertaking to hold a senior management position on the infrastructure management company on which that railway undertaking operates.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Current railway legislation does not prohibit an arrangement of this sort. However, railway legislation contains safeguards designed to prevent conflicts of interests arising in respect of infrastructure management and the management of railway undertakings, particularly as regards the allocation of track access rights and the determination of charges. It would be for the infrastructure manager to satisfy themselves that such an arrangement complies with all relevant legislation.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how their work on the governance part of the European Fourth railway package will facilitate UK train operating companies being able to tender for and be awarded rail franchises in a fair and transparent manner.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The government continues to work on the market pillar of the EU Fourth Railway Package, consisting of the proposal to amend Directive 2012/34/EU, the “Governance proposal” and the proposal to amend Regulation EC/1370/2007, the “Public Service Obligations proposal”. The government was able to support a General Approach on the pillar at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 8th October 2015. The General Approach text of the Governance proposal includes additional, proportionate provisions to ensure fair and non‑discriminatory treatment of all train operating companies, including safeguards for operators of franchises. Rules on the competitive tendering of franchises are set out in the Public Service Obligations proposal. The government continues to work with the Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the EU in their ongoing negotiations of the Package with the European Parliament.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many vehicle testing kits are available to the government agencies responsible for checking whether vehicles comply with EU emission standards.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Emissions type approval of new vehicles in the UK is carried out at commercially operated laboratories. There are five of these, as well as approved laboratories at manufacturers’ premises. The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) manages the approval testing of vehicles in the UK. Additional testing which is currently being undertaken on the road uses portable emission measurement systems (PEMS). The VCA owns two PEMS kits and can hire three additional PEMS kits from the commercial laboratories.

Eurostar: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which authorities are responsible for safeguarding unaccompanied children on the concourse at St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International stations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: For unaccompanied children travelling on international train services, Eurostar International have an unaccompanied minors policy, which is available on their website. If unaccompanied, lost children are found at these stations, they are transferred to the custody of the British Transport Police by station staff.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government to which body the ownership of the former railway line between Colne and the former Lancashire/West Riding of Yorkshire county boundary at County Brook transferred when BRB (Residuary) Ltd was abolished in 2013, and who now owns that line.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This section of the former railway line is now owned by the Secretary of State for Transport following the abolition of the former British Railways Board (Residuary) limited in September 2013. The former Closed Branch Line to the north of this section was transferred to Lancashire County Council in March 1974.

A1: Nottinghamshire

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 July 2015 (HL1470), whether the review of the failures that caused the cost of the recent A1 roadworks near Gamston Airport to escalate has been completed, and what conclusion and lessons have emerged from that review.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The close out of the scheme and associated financial reconciliation is pending and therefore it would be premature to draw conclusions at this time. Landscaping for the scheme and remedial works are nearing their final stages and completion of the contract is expected at the end of March. A “lessons learned” review will be held as soon as possible in April.

Roads: Construction

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 June 2015 (HL105), what trunk road improvement schemes there have been in the last five years, and for each of those, what was (1) the original target cost, and (2) the estimated completed cost.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The table below provides details of the major scheme on trunk roads opened in the last five financial years (from April 2011 to the present), together with the original target cost and latest outturn forecast (to the end of December 2015, and subject to closure of final accounts): Scheme NameDate OpenedOriginal Target Cost (£m)Outturn Forecast* (£m)A3 HindheadJul-11362.5m371.9mA1 Dishforth to LeemingMar-12327.5m312.0mA46 Newark to WidmerpoolMar-12382.9m379.3mA23 Handcross to WarninglidOct-1476.9m77.9mA11 Fiveways to ThetfordDec-14104.7m99.6mA14 Kettering BypassApr-1541.9m37.5mA453 WideningJul-15149.7m164.5m Totals1,446.1m1,442.7m

Department for Communities and Local Government

Tenant Services Authority: Redundancy Pay

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total value of redundancy payments made to former employees of the Tenant Services Authority as a result of the decision to abolish that organisation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (known as The Tenant Services Authority) ceased to exist from 31 March 2012. All staff were transferred under TUPE regulations to the Homes and Communities Agency from 1 April 2012, with the exception of the Managing Director. It was agreed that the post of Managing Director would not transfer and that the post should be deleted from the establishment from that date. A redundancy payment of £47,675 was made, together with enhanced pension contributions of £148,568.

Housing: Floods

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of new houses built in each of the years from 2010 to 2015 were built on floodplains, and whether they expect that proportion to change in the next five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The department’s latest land use change statistics provide estimates on the proportion of new residential addresses created in National Flood Zone 3 in England. The latest figures show that in 2013-14, 7 percent of new residential addresses were created in the National Flood Zone 3. This equates to an estimated 9,100 homes being built in National Flood Zone 3 in 2013-14.Prior to the publication of 2013-14 figures land use change statistics were calculated using a different methodology so they are not directly comparable to the 2013-14 figures. Figures produced using the previous methodology were last published for the calendar year 2011 and are provided in the attached table.Development can not be ruled out in high flood risk areas as around 10 percent of England, including large parts of major cities, such as Hull, Portsmouth and central London are located in these areas. All local planning authorities are expected to follow the strict tests set out in national planning policy and guidance, which includes steering development away from flood risk areas. Where development in flood risk areas is considered, national planning policy is clear that it should be safe, resilient and not increase flood risk elsewhere.



HL5515
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.45 KB)

English Language: Education

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to distribute the £20 million funding for English lessons for women speakers of other languages; which bodies will be responsible for delivering the new provision; on what basis it will be allocated; how much will be made available in each year of this Parliament, and what kind of learning provision the money will be used for.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our new English language training offer, worth £20 million over this Parliament, will be informed by the findings of Louise Casey's Review of Integration and the learning from the six community-based projects we have funded as part of our current integration programme. In particular, we will work with Louise Casey to identify the most isolated communities in England and on the detail of how the programme will be delivered, to ensure it is targeted at those women who need it most. We are working towards as early a launch date as possible for the programme in 2016-17.

Community Relations

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of social cohesion in towns in Britain, such as Boston in Lincolnshire.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Over generations, we in Britain have built a successful multi-racial, multi-faith democracy. According to the 2013/14 Community Life Survey, 85 per cent of people agreed that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. But the job of building a more cohesive country is never complete and we recognise the scale of the challenge in some communities. That is why the Prime Minister has charged Louise Casey to carry out a review of how to boost opportunity and integration in these communities and bring Britain together as one nation. We will use her interim report to inform our plans for funding a new wider Cohesive Communities Programme, focusing resources on improving integration and extending opportunity in those communities that most need it.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Islamic State

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 January (HL4827), what are the contents of those statements by the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, and where those statements are published.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 January (HL4827), in the light of the statements of the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, in their press releases on Islamophobia (Dec 2015), some religious leaders’ incitement to Holy War (Sept 2015), bombing by the Assad regime (June 2015), and concerns about people caught in Yarmouk (April 2015), where their statements about the murder, abduction, enslavement and genocide of Christians and Yazidis appear.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Statements made by the Office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect are published on the UN website.The statements cover a range of issues including incitement to violence in Syria on religious grounds; urging against rhetoric that escalates the risk of violence against religious communities; expressing concern about the on-going threat to the safety of minority groups in Syria; expressing outrage at speeches and media articles that dehumanise Alawites and Christians; expressing alarm at reports of the abduction of 1,500 Yazidi, Christian and Shabak women and girls; expressing concern at the situation of religious and other minorities, noting that members of the Christian community were fleeing the northern city of Mosul following the Daesh-led invasion; urging leaders in the wider region to refrain from using or condoning any language that may escalate sectarian tension; calling on all actors to condemn hate speech that could constitute incitement to violence against communities based on their religious affiliation.The complete statements are attached to this response, and the link to the website is provided below for your ease of reference: http://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/adviser/statements.shtml



UN Special Adviser Statements
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Samir Awad

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the charges brought against those convicted of the killing of Samir Awad.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this specific issue. However, we remain concerned about the high number of criminal investigations into fatal shootings of Palestinians that are closed without indictments. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly meet senior Israeli officials in the Ministry of Justice, Attorney General’s Office, Military Advocate General’s office, State Comptroller, National Security Council and other government bodies to lobby on this issue.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the claim by a resident in Bardala that the Israeli army and water company have taken their water and are selling it back to villagers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made representations on this specific issue to the Israeli authorities but are aware of the dire situation in this Palestinian village in the northern Jordan Valley area of the West Bank. We regularly raise the issue of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, stressing the urgent need for Israel to improve this unacceptable situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the demolition of a Palestinian tree nursery by the Israel Defence Forces that had previously been robbed by Israeli settlers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made representations on this specific issue to the Israeli authorities. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and settler violence. We understand that during the most recent olive harvesting season destruction was at a lower level than previous years due to stronger coordination between the Israel Defence Forces and Palestinian local authorities. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Israeli government and community leaders to urge them to take action and speak out against settler violence.

Nasser Nawaj'a

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the arrest and detention of Nasser Nawaj’a.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has been following this case and we now understand that Nasser Nawaj’ah has been released. However, we remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes it absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised this matter on 3 November 2015 with Israeli officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

Mohammad Faisal Abu Sakha

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the detention of Mohammad Faisal Abu Sakha.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has not raised Mr Abu Sakha’s particular case with the Israeli authorities. However, we remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue most recently on 3 November 2015 with Israeli officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

British Overseas Territories: Exclusive Economic Zone

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Maritime Intelligence Centre is providing comprehensive surface coverage of the Exclusive Economic Zones of dependent territories to ensure wildlife and resource protection; and how those zones are policed, in particular around Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Island and St Helena.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The National Maritime Information Centre assist with work to investigate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing around the British Indian Ocean Territory and Pitcairn. Overseas Territories are policed in a variety of ways as marine management is a devolved responsibility. In St Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cunha a variety of surveillance and enforcement measures are deployed, including satellite monitoring, vessel tracking, short term patrols and observer coverage of fishing vessels. Potential enhancements to surveillance and enforcement requirements for the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories are being considered as part of the Government’s commitment to create a Blue Belt around these territories.

Islamic State

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 January (HL4827), what assessment they have made of the capacity of the United Nations Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for genocide against Yazidis and Christians.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The role of the UN Office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide is to raise awareness of the causes and dynamics of genocide, to alert relevant actors where there is a risk of genocide, and to advocate and mobilise for appropriate action. The role of the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect is to lead the conceptual, political, institutional and operational development of the Responsibility to Protect. They are not mandated to carry out criminal/judicial investigations, and therefore the British Government has made no assessment of their capacity to do so.

EU Staff

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants are seconded to the European Commission.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There are a total of 156 UK secondees working across the EU institutions, as either Seconded National Experts or National Experts in Professional Training. 127 of them are currently working in the European Commission.

NATO

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether any of the UK's fellow members of NATO are currently using military force against their own citizens.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has not made any such assessment. Through signature of the Washington Treaty, all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have reaffirmed their faith in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, and their commitment to the principles of security, democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. The UK expects all our NATO Allies to live up to these commitments.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices: Finance

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the overall level of public funding for apprenticeships in (1) England, and (2) the construction sector, for apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24, and (c) 24 and over, for the latest year for which information is available.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Funding responsibility for the Apprenticeship Programme is shared between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which funds adult apprenticeships and the Department for Education which funds 16-18 year olds. This is a demand-led budget and not allocated to any particular sector. Employers and providers are relied upon to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand. For the 2015/16 financial year, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will provide £770million to fund apprenticeships for those aged 19+ and the Department for Education will provide £797.5million to fund apprenticeships for those aged 16-18.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when work on the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill was commissioned.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the original date set for the publication of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how many officials working on the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill is it taking up 75 per cent or more of their working time.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which ministers have reviewed sections or drafts of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill, and when.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials have worked on the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill (1) in total, and (2) by job title; and how many hours, and over what period, each official has worked on it.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps have been taken to speed up completion of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Medicine: Research

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure parity between funding for physical health and mental health research following the 2014 Research Excellence Framework conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is allocated funding from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) Science and Research budget to distribute to higher education institutions (HEIs) in England. Most of HEFCE’s funding is allocated as an unhypothecated research block grant to institutions, ensuring university leaders have flexibility to support their own research priorities. While this block grant is calculated using research quality and volume information from the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) at a subject level, it is a matter for individual HEIs to determine how it is ultimately distributed to particular activities/subjects. In developing the REF, the attribution of different disciplines to particular units of assessment was agreed with the relevant professional bodies. Research relevant to clinical mental health was assessed in a unit including psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. As this unit included a mix of research with higher costs (clinical psychology and psychiatry, and neuroscience) and lower costs (social psychology), the funding was allocated at an intermediate cost rate, reflecting the mix of disciplines. REF2014 demonstrated significantly improved research quality in all disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. As a result, the funding allocated on the basis of performance to this group increased by 16.5 per cent. As announced in the Spending Review 2015, the Government is taking forward a review of the REF to ensure that future university research funding is allocated efficiently, offers greater rewards for excellent research and reduces the administrative burden on institutions. This review will be led by Lord Stern, and he is expected to deliver his review to the Government in summer 2016.

Mental Health: Research

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why clinical research in mental health is scheduled to receive a tariff 32 per cent lower than for other clinical medicine subjects, including dentistry and nursing, for the same type of research, in the light of the overall increase in funding following the 2014 Research Excellence Framework conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is allocated funding from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) Science and Research budget to distribute to higher education institutions (HEIs) in England. Most of HEFCE’s funding is allocated as an unhypothecated research block grant to institutions, ensuring university leaders have flexibility to support their own research priorities. While this block grant is calculated using research quality and volume information from the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) at a subject level, it is a matter for individual HEIs to determine how it is ultimately distributed to particular activities/subjects. In developing the REF, the attribution of different disciplines to particular units of assessment was agreed with the relevant professional bodies. Research relevant to clinical mental health was assessed in a unit including psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. As this unit included a mix of research with higher costs (clinical psychology and psychiatry, and neuroscience) and lower costs (social psychology), the funding was allocated at an intermediate cost rate, reflecting the mix of disciplines. REF2014 demonstrated significantly improved research quality in all disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. As a result, the funding allocated on the basis of performance to this group increased by 16.5 per cent. As announced in the Spending Review 2015, the Government is taking forward a review of the REF to ensure that future university research funding is allocated efficiently, offers greater rewards for excellent research and reduces the administrative burden on institutions. This review will be led by Lord Stern, and he is expected to deliver his review to the Government in summer 2016.

English Language: Education

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure on the provision of English courses for speakers of other languages (1) in further education colleges and other public sector bodies, and (2) in other ways, in each of the last 10 years, including the current academic year; which bodies will deliver the extra language tuition to be provided from the £20 million announced by the Prime Minister; and when that extra tuition will commence.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The table below shows estimated funding for adult skills budget ESOL provision from 2009/10 onwards. We do not hold data before 2009/10 or collect data by the status of the providers. BIS funding for ESOL is allocated by the Skills Funding Agency as part of a provider’s adult skills budget. In addition, there are a number of ESOL courses funded through the Agency’s community learning budget, but we do not collect data which enables us to provide a breakdown of the expenditure on these. SFA-funded providers which deliver ESOL include Further Education colleges, local authorities and a few other providers. The Department for Communities and Local Government funds a range of organisations contracted to deliver their current community-based English language projects. Our new £20 million community-based English language training offer will be informed by the findings of Louise Casey's Review and the learning from the six community projects we have funded as part of our current integration programme. In particular, we will work with Louise Casey to identify the most isolated communities in England to make sure this programme is targeted at those women who need it most and on the detail of how it will be delivered. We are working towards as early a launch date as possible for the programme in 2016-17.  YEARBIS ACADEMIC YEAR ESTIMATED FUNDING* (Adult Skills Budget)DCLG FINANCIAL YEAR FUNDING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROJECTS09/10£203m 10/11£169m 11/12£117m 12/13£128m £0.12m13/14£120m £2.14m14/15£104m £3.66m *Funding values are estimated using data from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Estimated funding provides an indication of the level of government funding and should not be treated as actual spend.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was first informed that the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill would be delayed.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the figures quoted in the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill were verified by a third party.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which special advisers have had access to drafts of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many drafts of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill there have been, and when each was completed and reviewed.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Labour Party: Finance

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role Ministers have played in verifying the impact of clauses 10 and 11 of the Trade Union Bill on Labour Party funding.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Trade Union Bill

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which special advisers have had meetings or otherwise communicated with officials conducting the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill - on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January. The Trade Union Bill's impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment. They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill. Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough. We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets. We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.  I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

Further Education

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the timescale for carrying out reviews of post-16 education and training institutions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Individual area reviews are expected to take about four months, the timescale being dependent on the number of colleges and complexity of the local issues involved in each area. The overall review process has been divided into five waves of area reviews and is scheduled to be completed by March 2017.

Post Offices: Financial Services

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Post Office about addressing the problem of financial exclusion.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Ministers and government officials meet with Post Office on a regular basis and during these meetings services that help to address financial exclusion are often discussed. Post Office offers a wide range of financial services products, many of which are of benefit to those on low incomes or who are otherwise excluded from the traditional banking sector, and growth in financial services is a key opportunity to help make the Post Office network more sustainable. With government’s support Post Office has been working closely with high street banks to offer a standardised service that enables customers of the banks to access their accounts at Post Office branches. This is particularly important for those communities that have seen bank branches closed, where often the only local shop is a Post Office. Post Office also offers the Post Office card account which enables people with no bank account to be able to access benefits, pensions and tax credits over the counter at their local branch.

Department for Education

Pupils

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pupils have gone missing from school registers in the last 10 years in total, and in each year.

Lord Nash: The Government does not collect data on children who are not registered pupils at a school. Local authorities have a duty under s.436A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements to establish the identities of children who are not receiving a suitable education. This would include collecting as much information as necessary to establish the whereabouts of children who are potentially missing education and whether they are receiving suitable education.

Schools: Finance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the planned process and timetable for consideration of a national funding formula for schools in England.

Lord Nash: We are committed to ending the unfair funding system that means children with the same needs attract different amounts of money simply because of where they live. As we announced at the Spending Review, we intend to do that by introducing a fair national funding formula in 2017. This would be a significant reform, and we will carry out a full formal consultation later this year.

Teachers: Qualifications

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) teachers, and (2) Personal, Health and Social Education teachers, currently practising in schools in England, have qualified teacher status.

Lord Nash: The latest statistics show that 96 per cent of the headcount of teachers in service in state funded schools in England (as at November 2014) have qualified teacher status.Information on the number of teachers teaching Personal, Health and Social Education (PSHE) is only collected for secondary schools in England. Of the estimated 31,000 teachers recorded as teaching PSHE, 96 per cent were recorded as having qualified teacher status.

Teachers: Qualifications

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools in England are using non-specialist teachers to cover teaching vacancies.

Lord Nash: The Department does not hold this information.

Teachers: Resignations

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many teachers have left the profession within five years of qualifying in each year since 2009.

Lord Nash: Of the full and part-time teachers who gained qualified teacher status in 2009 (and were in service by March 2010), 72% were still in service in a state funded school in England five years after qualification. The rate of retention five years after qualification has remained broadly stable since 1996.

Teachers

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, broken down by region and subject, of the current levels of qualified teachers.

Lord Nash: The information requested is not available.Latest figures show that 96 per cent of full-time equivalent teachers in service in state funded schools in England (November 2014) have qualified teacher status.

Teachers: Job Satisfaction

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of current morale in the teaching profession.

Lord Nash: According to the OECD’s ‘Teaching and Learning International Survey’ (2013), 82 per cent of teachers surveyed in England either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that ‘all in all, I am satisfied with my job.’ This information is published in the attached research report ‘Teachers in England’s Secondary Schools: Evidence from TALIS 2013’.In addition, the latest statistics (School Workforce Census, November 2014) show that teacher retention rates one year after qualifying have remained stable for the past two decades, at around 90 per cent. Furthermore, 72 per cent of those who qualified in 2009 were still in teaching five years later, and the long-term retention rate is also stable, with over 60 per cent of teachers remaining in the classroom 10 years after qualifying.The Government is committed to raising the status of the teaching profession. We are supporting the establishment of a new, independent College of Teaching, and are offering postgraduate bursaries of up to £30,000 for trainee teachers starting initial teacher training in 2016/17, depending on their degree classification and the subject they plan to teach.



Evidence from TALIS 2013
(PDF Document, 2.46 MB)

Teachers: Training

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the School Direct programme is ensuring a sufficient supply of teachers for schools in England.

Lord Nash: Teaching continues to represent an attractive choice for top graduates and career changers – last year we recruited over 1,000 more secondary teachers than the previous year, and we exceeded our target for new primary teachers.Our best schools have a crucial role to play in training the next generation of outstanding teachers. That is why we introduced the School Direct training programme, which gives schools the opportunity to recruit and select their own trainee teachers, and to play a central part in both the design and delivery of teacher training. School Direct is only one of a range of routes through which new teachers can choose to train.We initially piloted the School Direct programme with a cohort of 351 trainees in the academic year 2012/13; thanks to its popularity with schools the scheme rapidly expanded to deliver 6,676 training places the following year. This has continued to rise each year, and provisional data show that 10,252 trainees have commenced School Direct programmes in the current academic year. This represents 39 per cent of all postgraduate teacher training places in the current year, and makes a significant contribution to the 51 per cent of all postgraduate training places that are now school-led.We recognise that recruitment to teacher training is becoming increasingly challenging as the economy improves and the graduate labour market strengthens. That is why we are giving schools greater direct involvement in selecting and training the high-quality teachers they need.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Lingfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking in response to (1) the finding of the National Autistic Society publication School report 2015, in particular on parents' and carers' views of the new system for children and younger adults with special educational needs and disabilities introduced under the Children and Families Act 2014; and (2) the October 2015 Driver Youth Trust report Joining the Dots.

Lord Nash: The Department is monitoring the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms and securing a wide range of feedback. This feedback is collected through statutory data collection; regular surveys of local authorities, parents and carers; regular inputs for the Special Educational Consortium (which represents more than 30 organisations); and reports from contractors such as the Council for Disabled Children, which provides Independent Support services in all local authority areas, and Contact a Family, which runs a national helpline for parents of children with SEND. The reports from the National Autistic Society and the Driver YouthTrust have added to this picture.The Department has already demonstrated its willingness to listen and respond to questions of national policy and policy implementation. In 2015, the Department adjusted the time allowed for the process of transfer from a statement of SEN (or post-16 Learning Difficulty Assessment) to a new Education, Health and Care Plan.From May 2016, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) plan to begin an inspection of the effectiveness of local areas in fulfilling their new SEND duties. The SEND inspections will evaluate local areas’ effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs or a disability. Inspections are expected to begin in May 2016 and all local areas will be inspected over a five year period. Feedback from these inspections will also add to the national level picture.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Lingfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to increase the take-up of personal budgets and direct payments, in particular for educational provision, in line with section 49 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014, and Chapter 9 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2015.

Lord Nash: The Department is monitoring the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms and securing a wide range of feedback. This feedback is collected through statutory data collection; regular surveys of local authorities, parents and carers; regular inputs for the Special Educational Consortium (which represents more than 30 organisations); and reports from contractors such as the Council for Disabled Children, which provides Independent Support services in all local authority areas, and Contact a Family, which runs a national helpline for parents of children with SEND.The Department provides support to local areas in a range of ways, such as voluntary and community sector experts and a team of specialist SEND Advisers.Local authorities must include information about Personal Budgets in their Local Offers, including information on how to request one. Parents and young people have the right to request a Personal Budget for elements of an Educational Health and Care (EHC) plan; local authorities are under a duty to prepare a budget when requested. Our termly surveys collect responses on the number of EHC plans which carry a Personal Budget.Since April 2013, the Government has provided nearly £1.5 million in funding to a number of projects with voluntary sector organisations to develop materials to support local areas to introduce Personal Budgets. We regularly promote these projects in our communications to families and to organisations in the sector. For example, KIDS produced guidance in 2015, through the Making it Personal 2 project. The Department is currently funding KIDS to build on this project, to develop further guidance and training resources, including some specifically aimed at young people with SEND, in a range of accessible formats. The SEND Gateway, which is run by the National Association for Special Educational Needs, also offers practical resources on Personal Budgets to assist both users and professionals.Through our regional support networks, we have funded a number of workshops aimed at local authorities, parents and others about Personal Budgets and we will continue to offer support for of this kind.Following publication of the Children and Families Act 2014, the Government set out the statutory duties to which local authorities and those working with children and young people must adhere, in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years[1]. The Code of Practice includes clear information on the processes of EHC plan assessment and production. The Department’s team of specialist SEND Advisers are working with local areas to improve the quality of EHC plans, and are currently leading workshops on this across England.The SEND Code of Practice includes clear requirements that all local authorities must meet when developing, publishing and reviewing their Local Offer. All local areas have Local Offers in place, but we recognise that the quality varies. This is another area we are monitoring through our termly surveys, our voluntary and community sector experts and specialist SEND Advisers. We have provided regular advice to local areas about how to improve the quality of Local Offers. We are confident that local authorities are working with their partner bodies and with families and young people to continue to improve their Local Offers to ensure they respond to local needs.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf



SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years
(PDF Document, 3.23 MB)

Special Educational Needs

Lord Lingfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that Education Health and Care plans, in particular for young people transferring to post-16 and post-19 provision, meet the requirements for what must be specified under sections 37–48 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

Lord Nash: The Department is monitoring the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms and securing a wide range of feedback. This feedback is collected through statutory data collection; regular surveys of local authorities, parents and carers; regular inputs for the Special Educational Consortium (which represents more than 30 organisations); and reports from contractors such as the Council for Disabled Children, which provides Independent Support services in all local authority areas, and Contact a Family, which runs a national helpline for parents of children with SEND.The Department provides support to local areas in a range of ways, such as voluntary and community sector experts and a team of specialist SEND Advisers.Local authorities must include information about Personal Budgets in their Local Offers, including information on how to request one. Parents and young people have the right to request a Personal Budget for elements of an Educational Health and Care (EHC) plan; local authorities are under a duty to prepare a budget when requested. Our termly surveys collect responses on the number of EHC plans which carry a Personal Budget.Since April 2013, the Government has provided nearly £1.5 million in funding to a number of projects with voluntary sector organisations to develop materials to support local areas to introduce Personal Budgets. We regularly promote these projects in our communications to families and to organisations in the sector. For example, KIDS produced guidance in 2015, through the Making it Personal 2 project. The Department is currently funding KIDS to build on this project, to develop further guidance and training resources, including some specifically aimed at young people with SEND, in a range of accessible formats. The SEND Gateway, which is run by the National Association for Special Educational Needs, also offers practical resources on Personal Budgets to assist both users and professionals.Through our regional support networks, we have funded a number of workshops aimed at local authorities, parents and others about Personal Budgets and we will continue to offer support for of this kind.Following publication of the Children and Families Act 2014, the Government set out the statutory duties to which local authorities and those working with children and young people must adhere, in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years[1]. The Code of Practice includes clear information on the processes of EHC plan assessment and production. The Department’s team of specialist SEND Advisers are working with local areas to improve the quality of EHC plans, and are currently leading workshops on this across England.The SEND Code of Practice includes clear requirements that all local authorities must meet when developing, publishing and reviewing their Local Offer. All local areas have Local Offers in place, but we recognise that the quality varies. This is another area we are monitoring through our termly surveys, our voluntary and community sector experts and specialist SEND Advisers. We have provided regular advice to local areas about how to improve the quality of Local Offers. We are confident that local authorities are working with their partner bodies and with families and young people to continue to improve their Local Offers to ensure they respond to local needs.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf



 SEND Code of Practice January 2015: 0-25 years
(PDF Document, 3.23 MB)

Special Educational Needs

Lord Lingfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that local offers published under the statutory duty on local authorities in the Children and Families Act 2014 meet the two key purposes set out in Chapter 4 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2015.

Lord Nash: The Department is monitoring the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms and securing a wide range of feedback. This feedback is collected through statutory data collection; regular surveys of local authorities, parents and carers; regular inputs for the Special Educational Consortium (which represents more than 30 organisations); and reports from contractors such as the Council for Disabled Children, which provides Independent Support services in all local authority areas, and Contact a Family, which runs a national helpline for parents of children with SEND.The Department provides support to local areas in a range of ways, such as voluntary and community sector experts and a team of specialist SEND Advisers.Local authorities must include information about Personal Budgets in their Local Offers, including information on how to request one. Parents and young people have the right to request a Personal Budget for elements of an Educational Health and Care (EHC) plan; local authorities are under a duty to prepare a budget when requested. Our termly surveys collect responses on the number of EHC plans which carry a Personal Budget.Since April 2013, the Government has provided nearly £1.5 million in funding to a number of projects with voluntary sector organisations to develop materials to support local areas to introduce Personal Budgets. We regularly promote these projects in our communications to families and to organisations in the sector. For example, KIDS produced guidance in 2015, through the Making it Personal 2 project. The Department is currently funding KIDS to build on this project, to develop further guidance and training resources, including some specifically aimed at young people with SEND, in a range of accessible formats. The SEND Gateway, which is run by the National Association for Special Educational Needs, also offers practical resources on Personal Budgets to assist both users and professionals.Through our regional support networks, we have funded a number of workshops aimed at local authorities, parents and others about Personal Budgets and we will continue to offer support for of this kind.Following publication of the Children and Families Act 2014, the Government set out the statutory duties to which local authorities and those working with children and young people must adhere, in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years[1]. The Code of Practice includes clear information on the processes of EHC plan assessment and production. The Department’s team of specialist SEND Advisers are working with local areas to improve the quality of EHC plans, and are currently leading workshops on this across England.The SEND Code of Practice includes clear requirements that all local authorities must meet when developing, publishing and reviewing their Local Offer. All local areas have Local Offers in place, but we recognise that the quality varies. This is another area we are monitoring through our termly surveys, our voluntary and community sector experts and specialist SEND Advisers. We have provided regular advice to local areas about how to improve the quality of Local Offers. We are confident that local authorities are working with their partner bodies and with families and young people to continue to improve their Local Offers to ensure they respond to local needs.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf



SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years
(PDF Document, 3.23 MB)

GCSE

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of candidates in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015, achieved grade A*-C or a pass for (a) seven or more GCSEs, (b) five or six GCSEs, (c) four or five GCSEs, (d) three or four GCSEs, (e) two or three GCSEs, (f) one GCSE, and (g) no GCSEs, broken down into socio-economic groups.

Lord Nash: The table below provides information as requested for the percentage of pupils achieving selected numbers of GCSEs[1] at grades A* to C.[2]  Percentage of candidates entered for at least one GCSE who achieved the specified number of GCSEs at grades A* to CYear7 or more654321None2015FSM23.85.85.86.16.98.713.229.7Non-FSM50.46.96.15.75.66.17.711.5Total46.96.76.15.75.86.58.414.02014FSM23.05.35.66.16.98.713.331.0Non-FSM49.86.65.95.65.76.27.812.4Total46.16.45.95.75.86.58.615.0  2013[3]FSM21.85.05.45.97.29.313.631.8Non-FSM48.66.55.95.85.96.68.112.8Total44.76.25.95.86.07.08.915.5 The percentage of pupils achieving selected numbers of GCSEs passed (A* to G) is given below.[4]  Percentage of candidates entered for at least one GCSE who achieved the specified number of GCSEs passedYear7 or more654321None2015FSM54.012.19.97.76.04.43.62.1Non-FSM77.48.25.43.52.21.51.30.5Total74.28.86.04.12.71.91.60.72014FSM49.811.610.59.07.35.64.02.2Non-FSM75.08.16.04.32.81.91.40.5Total71.48.66.64.93.52.41.80.8  2013[5]FSM44.310.610.910.69.98.43.71.7Non-FSM71.28.26.75.34.12.71.30.4Total67.38.57.36.14.93.61.70.6 [1] Includes GCSEs only, excluding level 1/2 certificates and established IGCSEs[2] Coverage is for all state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) in England[3] Figures for 2015 and 2014 are not comparable with 2013 due to the implementation of the Wolf reforms and the early entry policy.[4] Coverage is for all state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) in England[5] Figures for 2015 and 2014 are not comparable with 2013 due to the implementation of the Wolf reforms and the early entry policy.

Age of Criminal Responsibility

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the age of criminal responsibility and its consequences are taught to pupils in schools.

Lord Nash: Schools can choose to teach about the age of criminal responsibility and its consequences as part of citizenship education. Citizenship is a national curriculum subject at key stages 3 and 4 in England. In citizenship lessons, pupils learn about the role of law and the justice system in our society; how laws are shaped and enforced and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Schools: Performance Standards

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of (1) maintained schools, (2) faith schools, and (3) academies, were rated as outstanding following an Ofsted inspection in 2014–15.

Lord Nash: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Collective Worship

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January (HL5274), whether it is still a legal requirement to have a daily act of collective worship in academies, free schools and maintained schools.

Lord Nash: All state schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a daily act of collective worship for all registered pupils up to the age of 18. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or any part of collective worship, and sixth-form pupils have the right to withdraw themselves from collective worship.

Home Education: Finance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial support is available for children whose parents choose for their child to be tutored at home.

Lord Nash: When parents elect to educate children at home, they assume financial responsibility for their children’s education. Local authorities are not funded specifically to provide financial support to those parents who educate at home.If a child has special needs, financial assistance may well be appropriate. If the child has a statement of special educational needs or an Education and Health Care (EHC) Plan which specifies home education, or one which specifies a school but the parents have chosen to educate their child at home, then financial support to the parents may help discharge the authority’s duty to ensure that the child’s needs are met.

Ministry of Justice

David Kelly Death Inquiry

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was paid for the inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly in 2003 to (1) the government legal team and (2) the chairman.

Lord Faulks: The report of Lord Hutton’s Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly was published on 28 January 2004. The inquiry website indicates that staff costs for the inquiry secretariat were £145,975 and that the cost of external advice, including lawyers’ fees, was £990,303. No fees are shown as having been paid to Lord Hutton. No further breakdown of costs is available.

Prisoners: Crimes of Violence

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many extra days or weeks imprisonment have been given to prisoners for assaults committed on (1) fellow prisoners, and (2) prison staff, in each of the last five years.

Lord Faulks: The table attached shows the numbers of awards of additional days in prison establishments as a result of adjudications in each year since 2011, for breach of prison discipline involving violence, including the number of adjudications where awards of added days were as a result of an assault against (1) another prisoner or (2) a member of prison staff. Violence in prison has increased in recent years. The nature of offenders currently in custody and the widespread availability of new psychoactive substances have both contributed to making prisons less safe. There is no single, simple solution to improving safety in prisons but we are making progress. We are trialling the use of body worn cameras and training sniffer dogs to detect New Psychoactive Substances. We have made it an offence to smuggle New Psychoactive Substances into prison, but ultimately the only way to reduce violence in prisons is to give governors and those who work in prisons the tools necessary to reform and rehabilitate offenders more effectively. Data for 2015 - 2016 is not yet available.



Extra Days of imprisonment table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 9.6 KB)

Prostitution: Wales

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, there have been in Wales under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since 2010, and what penalty was imposed in each case.

Lord Faulks: There were no prosecutions brought under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (the latest available).Data on court proceedings for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.

Prostitution

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been (1) arrested, (2) charged, and (3) convicted, under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since the provision came into force, and what penalty was imposed in cases of conviction.

Lord Faulks: The attached table shows, for the years 2010-2014, the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and the number of offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentencing outcomes, for offences relating to paying or promising to pay a person to provide sexual services, where that person is subject to exploitative conduct to induce or encourage them to provide those services.Court proceeding data for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.The Home Office collects data on arrests at offence group level (for example, “sexual offences”), but the data is unavailable in relation to more specific offences, such as those under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.



defendants proceeded against at magistrates
(Excel SpreadSheet, 30 KB)

The Lord Chairman of Committees

House of Lords: Flowers

Baroness Corston: To ask the Chairman of Committees how much has been spent by the House of Lords on floristry services on the Parliamentary estate for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord Laming: The cost of flowers for the House of Lords is set out in the table below. These costs relate primarily to flowers in catering and retail outlets, and ceremonial events, such as state visits. The cost of flowers in the House of Commons portion of the Parliamentary estate is a matter for the House of Commons Commission. Financial yearAmount (£)2011/1223,1852012/1313,9562013/1411,6562014/1513,4592015/16 (to December 2015)9,276 These figures do not include flowers for banqueting functions and other income generating business as these costs are paid for by the customer or revenue from the event.Catering and Retail Services keeps its expenditure on flowers under review, to ensure that it is delivering best value to the taxpayer.

House of Lords: Flowers

Baroness Corston: To ask the Chairman of Committees when the current contract for floristry services is due for renewal.

Lord Laming: The floristry services contract is due for re-tender ahead of the expiration of the current contract, in September 2017.

Parliament: Paint

Baroness Redfern: To ask the Chairman of Committees what assessment he has made of the case for creating a circular economy for leftover paint in Parliament, in the light of the recommendations made in the British Coatings Federation’s interim report published on 19 November 2015.

Lord Laming: No formal assessment has been made of the Report. The House keeps minimal base colours in stock for touch-ups etc. and orders specific quantities as job requirements dictate. Any leftover paint is dealt with in compliance with legal disposal requirements.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish results against each of the key performance indicators highlighted in the policy document Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Information on the key performance indicators set out in Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation will be included in the annual progress report to parliament planned for December 2016. It will include results of surveys, including Active Lives and Taking Part, and competitions, like the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will be available in the course of the year.

Home Office

Overseas Domestic Workers Visa Independent Review

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to respond to the Ewins review of overseas domestic work visas.

Lord Bates: The Government is considering carefully James Ewins’ recommendations and will respond after meeting with Peers, following Committee stage of the Immigration Bill and by Report stage.

Crime

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 29 December 2015 (HL4764), whether they will list the social and environmental influences that they take into account when defining character or the propensity to commit crime.

Lord Bates: An individual’s character and propensity to offend are influenced by a range of factors, but could include social aspects of a person’s upbringing or their environment.As the Home Secretary has set out, there is nothing inevitable about criminality, however, and most people do not go on to become criminals whatever circumstances they grow up in. And it is important to remember that the only cause of a crime is, in the end, the criminal. The government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy will focus on tackling the six key drivers of crime, including character, and will be published in the spring.

Asylum

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent hostels requiring asylum seekers to wear red wristbands before providing food and to stop property companies singling out the accommodation used by asylum seekers by having their doors painted red.

Lord Bates: On 20 January my Rt. Hon. Friend the Immigration Minister (James Brokenshire), in response to the articles in the press regarding asylum seeker accommodation in Middlesbrough, announced an audit of asylum accommodation as a result of the allegations made (regarding the use of a single paint colour on asylum seeker properties).The Home Office has asked for assurance from all accommodation providers that there are no further policies or practices that allow asylum seekers to be identified as such by the public.

Counter-terrorism

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 January (HL5200), whether they have had regard to the preaching and teaching of Wahhabism in mosques and Muslim education bodies in Britain as part of their work on their Counter-Extremism Strategy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We published our Counter Extremism Strategy in October 2015 which sets out a range of measures to deal with the broad challenge of extremism. We have placed a duty on specified authorities to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being radicalised.We consider vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values as extremist, whatever guise these are expressed under. This includes when religions are hijacked by those wishing to promote extremism. As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in July last year “extremist ideology is not true Islam”.HM Government’s Counter Extremism Strategy and counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, set out our approach to tackling the full range of factors that allow extremist and terrorist groups to grow and flourish. These include directly challenging ideologies, including those which have a theological basis.The Prime Minister recently commissioned a review into the funding of extremism in the UK. This will include an assessment funding that comes from overseas. The review is due to report in spring 2016.

Police and Crime Panels

Baroness Henig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assess how effectively Police and Crime Panels have exercised their powers of scrutiny over the decisions and actions of Police and Crime Commissioners in the past year.

Lord Bates: The Government continually keeps under review how effectively Police and Crime Panels (PCPs) exercise their role in scrutinising and supporting the work of the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC).In the last year, for example, the Government has acknowledged recommendations about the adequacy of PCP scrutiny and support functions made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in their Report- Tone from the Top: Leadership, Ethics and Accountability in Policing.The Government is also currently consulting on the complaints process for PCPs when they seek to resolve non-criminal complaints made against the PCC. The proposed new process would be framed around the seven Nolan Principles (which form the basis of the ethical standards expected of public office holders) and will enable PCPs to take forward complaints about a PCCs conduct and make recommendations about expected levels of behaviour.

Department of Health

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the costs, rather than the tariff, of a cancer molecular profile using (1) a whole tumour-normal pair using Illumina technology at 70× tumour coverage, and (2) a deep sequenced next-generation sequencing panel test, as deployed in most major NHS teaching hospitals; and if those figures are not available, why not.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not held centrally by NHS England. Where the cost of these tests falls outside of tariff, costs will vary according to commissioning arrangements, the systems in place and the technology used. Further information on the costs to the National Health Service of whole genome sequencing in cancer and rare diseases will be derived through the 100,000 Genomes Project. The intended NHS re-procurement of Regional Genetic Laboratories will aid in defining the costs of genomic tests.

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how many cancer patients could receive a molecular test on Genomics England’s cancer sequencing budget for 2016 if Genomics England (1) continued to use whole genome sequencing on tumour and normal tissue pairs, and (2) switched to deep sequenced panel tests.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information requested is not yet available. The 100,000 Genomes Project is a research project which is investigating the benefits of whole genome sequencing for patients with cancer and rare diseases. One of the objectives of the Project is to establish the evidence to inform future decisions on National Health Service testing. The cancer part of the 100,000 Genomes Project has only recently completed the pilot phase and is incorporating those lessons into routine recruitment of cancer patients. To date, 1,286 tumour and normal genomes have been sequenced and are being interpreted by Genomics England. The pilot phase has involved research participants who have given informed consent, including details about whether there will be feedback of results during the pilot phase. The pilot phase has proved invaluable in understanding the technical requirements for sample preparation and data collection which will be incorporated into the main phase of recruitment in early 2016. As this phase is just starting there is no data on the average turn-around-time or on patient survival.

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the cancer panel test used at the main NHS tertiary hospitals will provide the vast majority of clinically actionable information in a tumour genome, in the light of the NHS reimbursement environment for targeted therapies.

Lord Prior of Brampton: A range of cancer panel tests are undertaken by National Health Service trusts. Whether or not these tests capture the majority of clinically actionable information in the tumour genome will not be known until the outcomes from the cancer element of the 100,000 Genomes Project is known.

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many successful tumour-normal genomes Genomics England has sequenced, interpreted and returned to patients to date; how long on average it has taken to return those results to patients; and how many cancer patients have died without receiving their results after supplying tumour samples to the 100,000 Genomes Project.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information requested is not yet available. The 100,000 Genomes Project is a research project which is investigating the benefits of whole genome sequencing for patients with cancer and rare diseases. One of the objectives of the Project is to establish the evidence to inform future decisions on National Health Service testing. The cancer part of the 100,000 Genomes Project has only recently completed the pilot phase and is incorporating those lessons into routine recruitment of cancer patients. To date, 1,286 tumour and normal genomes have been sequenced and are being interpreted by Genomics England. The pilot phase has involved research participants who have given informed consent, including details about whether there will be feedback of results during the pilot phase. The pilot phase has proved invaluable in understanding the technical requirements for sample preparation and data collection which will be incorporated into the main phase of recruitment in early 2016. As this phase is just starting there is no data on the average turn-around-time or on patient survival.

Diseases

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) definitive, and (2) actionable, diagnoses are made for every 1,000 genomes sequenced as part of the rare disease arm of 100,000 Genomes Project; and how many diagnoses they estimate would have been made if the Project were run using (1) whole, and (2) medical, exome technology; and if those estimates are not available, why not.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The 100,000 Genomes Project is not intended to provide definitive or actionable findings from whole genome sequencing. This is the responsibility of the National Health Service Genomic Medicine Centres based on interpretation reports provided by Genomics England. To date approximately 20 reports have been issued based on the initial interpretation of the pilot phase genome data. It is not possible to estimate the comparison between whole genome and exome methods for these patients. That is because the eligibility criteria for patients to be invited to participate in the 100,000 Genomes Project require that they remain undiagnosed after standard NHS diagnostic tests.

Diseases

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the costs per test in rare disease treatment using (1) whole genome, (2) whole exome, and (3) medical exome, sequencing; and if those figures are not available, why not.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not held centrally by NHS England or the UK Genetic Testing Network. Where the cost of these tests falls outside of tariff, costs will vary according to commissioning arrangements, the systems in place and the technology used. The cost of whole genome sequencing will continue to change in line with advances in technology. Costs will also need to be defined and include full bioinformatics analysis and clinical interpretation which is likely to be more costly than the sequencing itself.

Cancer

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase awareness of different cancers and their symptoms through media sources, specifically radio, television, and internet advertising; and to encourage people with possible symptoms or concerns to visit their GP.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) runs Be Clear on Cancer campaigns which are designed to raise the public’s awareness of specific cancer symptoms and encourage people with those symptoms to go to the doctor and diagnose cancer at an earlier stage. Be Clear on Cancer campaigns are tested at a local and regional level and are subject to a comprehensive evaluation process, the results of which are assessed thoroughly before a decision is taken on whether to run campaigns nationally throughout England. The campaigns run across a range of the media. Television advertising is commonly used as it is shown to be the best way to reach the target audience of people over the age of 50. Radio, press and outdoor advertising are used as supplementary channels, where appropriate for the audience. PHE has recently begun to advertise online, with a particular focus on social media such as Facebook, as audiences are increasingly using these services. PHE works closely with the Department and NHS England to ensure that healthcare professionals are also targeted with campaign information to encourage earlier diagnoses and referrals. To date, there have been national campaigns on Lung, Bowel, Bladder and Kidney, Oesophago-gastric cancers and Breast Cancer in older women. The next Be Clear on Cancer campaign will be “Blood in Pee” as a symptom of bladder and kidney cancers.

Health Services: Older People

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of possible causes that may prevent the elderly, especially men, from seeking advice on health; and what steps they are taking to address this both (1) nationally, and (2) in North Lincolnshire.

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further assistance they plan to make available to local authorities to increase contact with target groups such as the elderly, specifically men, who do not seek advice on health.

Lord Prior of Brampton: In 2013, Public Health England (PHE) was established to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities, working with national and local government, the National Health Service, industry, academia, the public and the voluntary and community sector. PHE encourages local authorities to prioritise NHS Health Check invitations to individuals with the greatest health risk which includes older men. PHE Social Marketing has also conducted qualitative research amongst older adults (aged 50+), including elderly men, on the factors that influence early diagnosis (including barriers to help seeking) for the development of our Be Clear on Cancer, Breathlessness, Inflammatory Arthritis and Blood Pressure campaigns. The findings of this work have been incorporated into the campaign strategies, messaging and local partnership activity for all campaigns.